The Unexpected Value of Core Values

There was a point in time when me and “core values” didn’t get along too well.

I realize this sounds strange coming from a marketing guy whose agency helps companies find their true north, but I’d just seen too many uninspired core values and mission statements etched into frosted glass at behemoth corporations.

Like a side salad swimming in Thousand Island dressing, these pronouncements were always over-dressed with phrases like “innovation,” “employee excellence” and “superior customer service.” It made no difference if these companies were selling tractor tires, dental floss or life insurance; their clichéd words fit right in with the soulless wall-to-wall carpet and fluorescent lights that surrounded them.

When I returned to Door Number 3 to purchase the company in 2014, I didn’t focus on our core values. I thought they were baked. I also thought they were obvious to everyone. I mean, here’s an ad agency that had been in business for over two decades. A company with a strong product, smart people and a great culture. We were living out our values every day! With a mile-long to-do list, writing down our core values was quickly deprioritized.

Of course, I knew better than to put this off. Well-articulated core values support a company’s vision and shape the culture. They represent the company’s belief system. Done right, these inspired set of words keep everyone in lockstep, from the leadership team down to the summer interns. In fact, I’d prescribed (and scribed!) them for several companies over the years as part of re-branding assignments.

I was reminded of the power of core values when I read Gino Wickman’s book Traction. Wickman created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)–a holistic system that empowers leaders to operate smarter, more well-oiled businesses. Only a few chapters into his book and I knew it was finally time for me to take my own medicine. It was time to declare Door Number 3’s core values.

All of the expected outcomes followed. Our team was more aligned. Our culture was sharpened. Our employee manual received a fresh coat of paint. But here are three of my favorite outcomes that only revealed themselves months later:

 1 – Core values serve as culture magnets.  

Attracting top talent and “right fit” clients is critical to the success of any service business. Last year, I was in talks with an account director candidate. He had worked at some of the most respected ad agencies in the world and was considering a move to Door Number 3. As one of my last emails before offering him a position, I sent him our core values. It served as a final qualifier of sorts. If he saw himself in us, it was a natural fit. If not, perhaps we’d both save ourselves from a bad marriage. Thankfully, he accepted the job with enthusiasm and went on to become a great culture fit.

Having your core values serve as a window into culture can be equally effective with clients. Which takes us to #2.

 2 – Core values hold leadership accountable.

There was a point in time when my team felt like one of our accounts, a tech company, was growing toxic. Our work output was very strong, but our lead client was routinely unimpressed. I struggled with this. How is it that we’re doing some of our best work, yet he’s entirely emotionless about the output? We came to learn that he was one of those guys who would be unsatisfied eating a hand-churned ice cream cone while riding a unicorn across a rainbow. Nothing was ever good enough, which caused unnecessary do-overs and scope creep. Over time, my team felt worn down. It was on me, the owner, to address it in a way that lived up to our values. So, I made the decision to end our agency/client relationship. It was a tough call, but one that was markedly easier because it was informed by the core values emblazoned on the wall outside my office.

 3 – Core values provide massive confidence.

The late George H.W. Bush once said, “I do not like broccoli. And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

Whether it’s your distaste for cruciferous vegetables or your obsession with creating a collaborative workplace culture, declaring what you stand for yields specificity. And specificity breeds confidence. Our team went from thinking we were all on the same page to knowing we are on the same page. The result? Faster decision making, increased productivity and taller shoulders.

Without further ado, here are Door Number 3’s Core Values:

Outthink.

We help our clients achieve the impossible by delivering the unbelievable. We solve the problems they’ve identified and the ones they haven’t. Creative isn’t a department – it’s a mindset.

· Begin with the end in mind.

· Create solutions, not ads.

· Embody resourcefulness.

· Delight.

Honor the Golden Rule.

We do to others what we would want them to do to us. That means investing in people and partnerships and offering help at every turn.

 · Cultivate relationships.

· Practice radical candor.

· Celebrate wins.

· Don’t be an asshole. 

 Stay empowered.

We operate in a constantly evolving, trust-based environment where micromanagement is not an option. The only wrong action to take is inaction.

· Punch above your weight.

· Find beauty in constraints. 

· Collaborate freely.

· Do it today, not tomorrow.

 Never stop improving.

We are FPO, always evolving, always getting better. Becoming the best means never befriending complacency.

· Identify blind spots.

· Fail forward.

· Seek progress, not perfection.

· Always be learning.

 Seek what matters most.

We know a lasting legacy is not rooted in the awards or accounts we win, but in the impact we have on each other, our clients, our partners and our community.

 · Always bring your true self to work.

· Work smarter, not longer.

· Pay it upward and onward.

· Stay grateful.

Ready to pen some new core values for your company? Whether you’re writing them for the first time or refreshing what you have, give yourself plenty of time to iterate. Push past the cliché, narrow in on your ownable truths and validate them with your team. It’s a significant journey, but one worth taking.

In the words of Felicia Day, “Knowing yourself is life’s eternal homework.”

Editor’s Note - Prentice Howe is Owner, CCO of Door Number 3 and author of Amazon bestseller The Empowered Challenger Playbook: How Brands Can Change the Game, Steal Market Share and Topple Giants.

ABOUT DOOR NUMBER 3

Door Number 3 develops marketing that helps challenger brands topple their giants. Based in Austin, Texas, the award-winning advertising agency represents a diverse stable of growth clients including Cirrus Logic, Maine Root, ShippingEasy, Drunken Sailor Spirits, NIC USA, NorthStar Financial, FirstCare Health Plans, Alen Air, Cintra US and Centennial Bank. Services include strategy, brand positioning, integrated campaign development and media planning/buying. Door Number 3's work has been recognized by national publications such as The New York Times, Communication Arts, AdWeek, INC., Entrepreneur and The Wall Street Journal.